French turntablist trio Turbine has wasted no time this new year having already released the intense Big Beat track BassQuake. With a quick turnaround, they are now out with a new turntablism & Drum and Bass music track titled Maze. Making their debut in 2022, Turbine has caught our attention with their virtuoso turntable and producing skills with DnB releases like the futuristic and dark Mind Control, and the charged-up Reality, as well the electronic-focused roof-raiser Bounce That. Turbine – Maze brings a modern take to the songwriting style known as Theme & Variations which has been used since the Classical era of music going back to the mid-1700s with composers like Beethoven, Chopin, and Mozart.
Theme & Variations music has a repeated motif where each recitation of it brings out more interest as variety is added to it. Turbine immediately establishes the motif that is present throughout the entirety of Maze with a growling bass melody built upon four chords. The first forms of variation occur with the addition of drum grooves to the bass motif ranging from busy and quick snare and auxiliary percussion grooves to heavy and intense kick drum passages. Well-placed voice drops edited to have a different rhythmic effect also frequent the different variations of the repeated melody. Some of the most impressive forms of variation happen in the outros of each repetition whether it’s a mind-blowing drum fill or a brilliant rhythmic sound design drop that will leave you nodding in approval.
Turbine – Maze leaves us in awe and impressed by how much depth the French turntablist trio was able to pile onto its single motif. The craft of turntablism & Drum and Bass music makes for a perfect platform for producing a new modern sound to the classic Theme and Variation songwriting style. Maze may well end up as part of Turbine’s routine and submission for the 2024 DMC World Championships in which they have previously finished in the top four.
